World-renowned architect Ieoh Ming (IM) Pei, the creator of masterpiece building designs around the world, died on May 16 in New York at the age of 102. His imprint lives on in two buildings at the campus that continue to draw crowds to East-West Road: , which houses the Department of and , and Jefferson Hall, home to the .
Pei will be remembered for his design of buildings including the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
“IM Pei was not only a great architect but an engaging and approachable human being,” said William Chapman, interim dean of the . “I attended the American Academy of Arts and Letters ceremony in 1979, when Pei won the Gold Medal for Architecture. We talked for a good 15 minutes, standing over a model of one of his buildings. I was a mere graduate student, he was a significant architect, but he had time to talk and ask me about my own career plans. A lovely man. We are lucky to have not one but an entire complex of buildings at the East-West Center and Kennedy Theatre. This is a rare treasure that does much to enhance our campus.”
His admirers also include many 东精影业 faculty and administrators.
“IM Pei developed and shaped the character and identity of 东精影业 Mānoa with his iconic buildings like the Jefferson Hall and Burns Hall, Kennedy Theatre and other East-West Center residential buildings along East-West Road,” said Thomas Lim, director of the in the . “He was a hero of mine as a New Yorker and inspired me to make a mid-life career change from medical biochemistry to architecture.”
Added 东精影业 Mānoa Michael Bruno, “He was a hero of mine as well—a life well-lived, so many accomplishments.”
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